VIDEO Education of Youth on Peer Violence Prevention: Cartoon "Once Upon a Boy"

In partnership with the Youth Council of Novo Sarajevo Municipality and one of the largest European humanitarian organizations CARE International, Association XY has obtained permission from the Brazilian Institute „Promundo“ to adapt and use the video „Once Upon a Boy“ for the purpose of educating youth on peer violence prevention, according to a statement from the Association, reported by the Patria News Agency.  

According to Dajana Cvjetković, the project coordinator for „Peer Violence Prevention in Novo Sarajevo Municipality“ from Association XY, the Promundo Institute is a global leader in promoting gender justice and violence prevention by engaging boys and men in partnership with girls and women.

-The Promundo Institute believes that work with boys and men should focus on transforming harmful gender norms and unequal power dynamics to achieve gender equality, Cvjetković stated.

„Once Upon a Boy“ is a cartoon that tells the life story of a boy without a single spoken word, vividly depicting his growth from birth, learning initial behaviors, first outings, peer pressure, to the influence of patriarchal norms on shaping his personality as a boy, young man, and father.

-The film is designed to facilitate discussions with young people about critically understanding rigid models of masculinity and their impact on the attitudes and behaviors of young men. Discussion facilitators can be teachers, parents, pedagogues, peers, or healthcare professionals who use the film as an educational tool for youth, respecting their views and values, and critically examining the social norms that surround them. After watching the film, or even just a part of it, the facilitator initiates a discussion and critical analysis of the rigid norms of masculinity that cause certain behaviors of the boy/young man/father in the film and are directly linked to violent behavior, Cvjetković explained.

UNDP Project

The project Youth Activism Against Violence in Novo Sarajevo Municipality is being implemented as part of the UNDP project „Strengthening Local Democracy/Democracy IV – LOD IV“, funded by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) with an amount of 2 million euros.